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QAFCO – Texas A&M at Qatar Conference 2017 focuses on energy, food and water security for the future

Published Jan 16, 2017

Texas A&M University at Qatar hosted experts from around the world 12 Jan. for the annual QAFCO – Texas A&M University at Qatar Conference 2017.

The 2017 conference was presented in cooperation with Texas A&M at Qatar’s longtime industry collaborator, the Qatar Fertiliser Co. (QAFCO), which has supported the conference since 2007.

Mr. Humoud Al-Mannai, Chief Technical Officer, QAFCO, said, “The QAFCO – Texas A&M Conference 2017 is a melting pot of ideas, conferences such as these will help the youth gain a better understanding of issues us today and hopefully help provide sustainable solutions.” Emphasizing on the role of the industry he said, “We believe that industries like ours have a crucial role to play in providing a helping hand to the farmers to help feed the world. Investments in research and technologies, as well as forums for knowledge sharing like this one, can be a big boost to these efforts.”

This year’s conference focused on the interconnection of food, energy and water. As the demand for fresh water, food and energy increases with population growth, economic and technological development, and climate change, this nexus will become even more critical for areas such as Qatar where fresh water is scarce and oil and gas revenues must be consumed to generate energy for seawater desalination. Sixteen experts from around the world addressed these synergies and trade-offs between water and energy use and food during the one-day conference, which aimed to help ensure water, energy and food security for future generations.

The conference featured an impressive technical program, and sessions showcased opinions and research from some of the world’s most respected names in the field, including Dr. Michael Ladisch, professor at Purdue University (USA), and Fahad Al-Attiya, legal counsel for His Highness the Emir and the Qatar NationalFood Security Programme. The event also provided a forum for the exchange of ideas and opportunities for future collaborations.

Dr. César O. Malavé, dean of Texas A&M at Qatar, said, “We at Texas A&M at Qatar are proud to partner with industry collaborators such as QAFCO to help realize sustainable solutions to real-world issues and to encourage the exchange of knowledge, ideas and expertise that is essential to fuel innovation and new thinking. The QAFCO – Texas A&M University at Qatar conference illustrates the importance of industry, academic and government partnerships in developing scientific solutions that have direct impact on the world around us.”